The survey included over 20,000 primary care physicians in 29 U.S. states, who were linked to a voter registration database to obtain the physicians’ political party affiliations. Respondents evaluated nine patient vignettes, three of which addressed especially politicized health issues (marijuana, abortion, and firearm storage)

For physicians responding on those three issues, Republican and Democratic doctors registered different levels of concern and said they would respond differently. When it came to the patient with a history of abortions, Republican doctors were more likely to encourage counseling and discourage future abortions. For the patient who used marijuana, Republican doctors said they’d be more likely to ask the patient to cut back and to discuss legal risks of using the drug. For the patient with guns, doctors who were Democrats indicated they’d be more likely to tell the patient not to keep guns at home while Republican doctors would be more likely to discuss safe storage options.

“These findings suggest you are going to get different care,” Professor Hersh said. However, they might for patients whose needs were closely related to politically divisive subjects (eg, contraception, HIV prevention, etc).